Milking apparatus.



No. 646,I83. Patented Mar. 27, I900. W. H. LAWRENCE &. R. KENNEDY.MILKING APPARATUS.

. (Application filed May 9, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shout I.

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No. 646',|83. Patented -M ar. 27, 1900. w. H. LAWRENCE & n. KENNEDY.

MILKING APPARATUS.

(Application flld May 9, 1899.) -(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shut 2.

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No. 646,!83. Patented Mar. 27, I900.

W. H. LAWRENCE & R. KENNEDY.

MILKING APPARATUS.

- (Applicanion filed May 9, 1899.; (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 wwmau. m2g K 7 NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

lVIILKlNG APPARATUS.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,183, dated March27, 1900.

' Application filed May 9, 1899. Serial No. 716,076. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,WILLIAM HENRY LAW- RENCE, residing at 158 Kenmurestreet, Pol

lokshields, Glasgow, and ROBERT KENNEDY, residing at 109 South Portlandstreet, Glasgow, Scotland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Milking Apparatus, (which has been patented in GreatBritain on October 15, 1898, No. 21,738,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to milking apparatus in which pulsating apparatusin the form of a vacuum-motor is fitted'on or in proximity to themilk-receptacle and is operated by suction from suction-producingapparatus or a vacuum-chamber placed at any convenient distancetherefrom in order to produce a pulsating action at the teat-cups of themilking apparatus by suitably and intermittently varying the suctionacting on the cows teats between maximum and minimum degrees.

The present improvements have for their object to simplify and improvethe action of such apparatus and to render the same in gen eral moreeflicient.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Figure 1being a vertical longitudinal section of the pulsating apparatus, andFig. 2 a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverseverticalsection of the pulsating apparatus fitted in position on themilk-receptacle or maximum-vacuum chamber. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 arevertical sections of various forms of teat-cups.

Under the present invention we connectthe milk-receptacles A, part ofone of'which is shown at Fig. 3, by branches A to a single main pipe ledfrom the suction-producing apparatus or vacuum-chamber, and we utilize apart of each milk-receptacle A as a minimum-vacuum chamber, the milkpail or receptacle A being for this purpose made with a closed doublecasing A at its upper end or other part and having both its chambers A Aconnected to the pulsating apparatus.

The pulsating apparatus consists of a cylinder B, in which works adouble-ended piston 0, provided with cup-leathers O beneath each ofwhich an endless spiral spring 0 in the form of a ring is placed inorder to press the leathers tight against the cylinder B,

either end of the piston being alternately put into communication withthe atmosphere and with the suction-prod ucin g apparatus through themilk-receptacle A by means of a valve D, actuated from the piston;

The valve D for actuating the pulsatorpiston C has around itscircumference two annular grooves D D which are in constantcommunication with two ports D D, respectively, in the valve-casing Done, D, of which communicates by means of a pipe D with themaximum-vacuum chamber A and the other with the atmosphere by means ofthe port D Each annular groove D D has threevertical grooves connectedtherewith, the alternate groove being connected to the top and bottomannular grooves D D so that as the valve D is turned it, by means of twoports D D in the valve-casing D connected by passages D D to either endof the cylinder B, establishes communication between one end of thepiston C and the vacuum and between the other end and the atmosphere inorder to traverse the piston Oin either direction. The alternatevertical grooves of atmospheric air and vacuum balance the valve D, sothat it floats and can be readily turned by the action of the piston O.The actuating-valve D has a lever-arm D attached to its lower side,adapted to be acted on by a-- trip-lever I, pivoted on thecylinder-casing B and actuatedby the movement of the piston O throughapin 0 which engages a slot 1 the valve D suddenly through the nextthirty degrees, which is the necessary distance to bring the other setof grooves into communication with the passages D D and effect thereversal of the piston O. The passages D 13 leading from thevalve-casing D to the cylinder B, are at their junction therewithprovided with regulating-screws K, the conical points of which may beperiodically fully screwed down, so as to clear the needle-holes L,which form the entrances to the cylinder B and dislodge any foreignmatter therefrom.

The cylinder B is provided with four ports B B B B, arranged in pairs BB and B B transversely of the cylinder, the two ports of each pair beingput into communication with each other on the movement of the piston Cby means of a transverse recess 0' in said piston, so as to makealternate connections between the maximum-suction chamber A orminimum-vaeu um chamber A and the teatcups, (shown by Figs. 4 and 5 andhereinafter described,)causing the cup to collapse and the milk to flowfrom the cows teats into the milk-pail maximum-suction chamber A or torelieve the suction to such an extent as to allow the teat-cups M toexpand to their normal condition. Each of the ports B B on one side ofthe longitudinal axis of the cylinder is connected by pipes b b to a cupE, covered by a glass dome F and forming an inspection-cup, which is inturn connected to a pipe or pipes G, leading to the teat-cups M. Thesepipes G, of which there are preferably two, are led into thisinspection-cup E and bent in such wise as to prevent any backward surgeof the milk on the release of the suction due to the recess 0' in thepiston 0 being transferred .l'rom the maximum to the minimum suctionports. The connection between the inspection-cup E and the ports B B onone side of the longitudinal axis of the cylinder B is obtained throughthe passages 1) b One port B when put into connection by thepiston-recess O with its neighbor B places the inspection-cup E intocommunication with the milk-pail A or maximum vacuum, and the other whenthe piston C moves places the inspection-cup E in communication with thepartial or minimum vacuum chamberAof the milk-pailand whichconstitutes'a minimum-vacuum storage-chamber, the minimum or partialvacuum being automatically produced therein by the alternate connectionof the inspection-cup E with the ,maximum-vacuum and the minimum-vacuumchamber A The maximum vacuum produced inthe inspection-cup E serves ateach alternate movement of the piston C to exhaust the minimum-vacuumchamber A and the degree of vacuum in the latter is prevented fromexceeding that desired by means of a spring-loaded diaphragm-valve, thediaphragm H of which is preferably of larger area than the valve, and onbeing raised by the atmospheric pressure acts upon the valve H to raiseit and admit air to the minimumvacuum chamber A by way of holes H in thevalve-casing above and a passage II below the valve-seat and a port H inthe cylindercasing communicating with the port B the latter being inconstant communication with the minimum-vacuum chamber by a pipe A Thepulsating apparatus is secured upon the lid A of the milk-pail ormaximum-vacuum chamber A, and is made air-tight upon said chamber by arubber ring A or other means.

The teat-cups M are preferably formed of removable and reversiblesleeves M, which can be made of rubber tubing cut with beveled ends andwhich are fitted to slide upon metallic cylinders M so that the lengthof the flexible tubing M engaging the cows teats may be varied oradjusted to suit the length of teat, and the metallic cylinders M are bypreference cut at an angle, as shown at M Fig. 5, on each side, or tocone shape, so that the rubber tube 1 may tend to flatten or collapsealways in the same direction when the suction is applied. The lower endof the cylinder is preferably, as shown at Fig. 4, closed by aspring-loaded valve M through which the milk passes into a flexible tubeN, connected to the valve M and to the inspection-cup E. The rubberportion of the teatcups may have semicircular grooves M as shown atFigs. 5 and 6, formed around them near both ends, or they may be thinneddown near the ends, as shown at Fig. 7, which grooving or thinning hasthe effect of allowing that portion of the rubber between these groovesM or thinned portion M to collapse without affecting the parts whichtake hold upon the cows teats and upon the metallic outlet-passage.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: After placing the pulsator onthe milk-receptacle the connection between the vacuumsupply is opened,which causes the piston to reciprocate and partly exhaust theminimumvacuum reservoir. The teat-cups are then applied to theteats,which alternately collapse and expand under the variations ofvacuum so produced. When the connection is established with the maximumvacuum and teateups, the milk is, by the combined action of the suctionand collapse of the cup, drawn into the milk-receptacle, and on theconnection being changed to the minimum-vacuum reservoir the suction onthe teat is reduced sulficiently to stop the flow of milk and allow thecup to expand. When this is taking place,

the pulsator-piston C is in the position shown,

at Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the milk being drawn from the cows teats andpassing by way of the inspection-cup E through the passage 11 port Brecess 0', and port B to the milkreceptacle A. The lever-arm D on thepulsator-actuating valve D has been acted upon by the trip-lever I andis just about to complete its travel under'the action of the spring J,which latter has now been brought by the movement of the lever-arm Dpast the center line of said lever-arm. The lower end of the valve D iscut away to allow of the free movement of the lever-arm D ,exceptingonly during the last thirty degrees or thereby of its travel, duringwhich it carries with it the valve D to bring the annular groove communicating with the atmosphere into communication with that end of thecylinder B to which to travel so that its recess 0 covers the ports thepiston O has traveled. The piston G is thus caused to move in theopposite direction to bring its recess 0' over the ports 13 B and breakthe maximum suction by establishing communication between theinspection-cup E and minimum-vacuum chamber A this action having theeffect of reducing the suction at the teat-cups and stopping the flow ofmilk from the cows teats. By this time the trip-lever I, having beenacted upon by the piston C, has carried the lever-arm D of the valve Dover to the position in which the spring J acts upon it to carry itthrough the remainder of its travel and turn the actuating-valve D so asto establish communication with the atmosphere and that end of thecylinder B which was previously communicating with the vacuum. Thepiston C is then caused B 13, whereby communication is again establishedby way of the inspection-cup E between the teat-cups and the maximum-vacuum chamber A, whereby milk is again caused to flow into themilk-receptacle A. The vacuum produced in the inspectioircup E tends toproduce equal vacuum in the minimumvacuum chamber A when this is incommunication with the former and the milk would also flow toward thechamber A but for the valve 11, which opens to admit air to this chamberby Way of the port H on the vacuum exceeding a predetermined degree.

Having now described the invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a milking-machine, the combination with pulsating apparatusoperated by suction, of a milk-receptacle made with two compartments,one compartment A being connected to suction-producing apparatus and toa port B in the pulsator and the other compartment A connected toanother port in the pulsator, and an air-admission valve H controlled bythe vacuum so that in the compartment A of the milk-receptacle a minimumdegree of vacuum is maintained automatically by the action of thepulsator in conjunction with said air-admission valve.

2. In a pulsating apparatus operated by suction-producing apparatus at adistance therefrom, the combination of a cylinder B having in its fourports B, B B B an inspectioncup E and maximum-vacuum chamber, thecylinder-ports being arranged in pairs and communicating one pair B Bwith the milkpail and the inspection-cup E and the other pair B, B withsaid cup E and with the minimum-vacuum storage A and a piston Creciprocated by vacuum within said cylinder and having formed in it arecess 0 adapted to alternately connect the maximum and the minimumsuction with the inspection-cup E.

3. In a milking apparatus operated by suction-producin g apparatus at adistance therefrom, the combination with means for connecting the samewith the teats of the animal to be milked, of a reversing-valve D formedwith vertical grooves extending from annular grooves D,D" communicatingone withavacuum-chamber and the other with the atmos-'' WILLIAM HENRYLAWRENCE. 'ROBERT KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, J NO. ARMSTRONG, Jr.

